July 6, 2016
Today's Specials
Bet you've downed a few. Maybe you've even mixed a few. But how much do you know about the history of the cocktail? Test your knowledge and find out.
FIVE BEVERAGE PROGRAM TIPS (Sponsored by UpServe)
Why it’s important to you: Make the most out of your beverage program.
A successful beverage program can be a game changer for your restaurant — when done right. At the end of the day, you want happy customers and a strong bottom line. Keep reading to see how a couple tweaks to your beverage program can deliver you just that.
WE’RE NUMBER ONE [Slideshow]
RestaurantBusinessOnline.com released their picks for the top 20 US full-service restaurant chains. They were ranked based on three factors: sales, satisfaction and value. The list is a who’s who in chain restaurants, but most importantly four of those top 20 subscribe to The Rail. Congratulations to Buffalo Wild Wings (16), BJ’s Brewhouse (15), Yard House (12) and first place overall, Texas Roadhouse. We aren’t saying that subscribing to The Rail contributed, but it certainly doesn’t hurt…just sayin’. ;-)
GROWING PAINS
Why it’s important to you: Some restaurants are finding success in a “no-tipping” world, but not without growing pains.
Last year, two of Pittsburgh's most popular upscale restaurant and cocktail lounges — Bar Marco and The Livermore — dropped the tipping tradition. Instead, they raised prices and gave their 13 full-time staff a $35,000 salary and two weeks PTO. It’s been a year and the owners are still happy with the practice.
According to Kevin Cox, co-owner of both restaurants, they dropped tipping to limit their biggest risk — losing a team of seasoned industry pros. While they did lose a few employees who preferred the “volatility” of tip-based income, their overall retention is above the industry norm, Cox said. Both venues also have increased their training program to sharpen and expand their staff’s skills.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BLUES [Song]
Why it’s important to you: The Clinton email scandal is over…maybe.
While FBI Director James Comey was telling the world that he wasn’t influenced by any other agency in his recommendation not to pursue criminal charges against Hillary Clinton, were you wondering how he was keeping a straight face? You weren’t alone. The Republican response was, as expected, filled with incredulity. The President made his first appearance with her, but the real loser here is Bernie Sanders. His camp has long hoped that an indictment might derail the presumptive candidate’s path to the nomination, so this closure is sad for those that still want to #FeelTheBern.
The long and short is that Comey has cleared Clinton of criminal wrong doing, but not of wrong doing altogether. While her punishment will be limited to the director calling her actions “careless,” he commented that she exposed top secret level information to both “hostile actors” and did so in the “territory of sophisticated adversaries.” Comey made it clear they found no intent, but plenty of neglect when it comes to not-following State Department protocols. Bottom line, Hillary Clinton will face not charges (or even sanctions) for her use of a personal email server. Undoubtedly that won’t stop Donald Trump from blaring his disdain on Twitter, but will it matter to a country that is already weary of an election cycle that still has four months to go?
IF YOU WANT PEACE, WORK FOR JUSTICE – Pope Paul VI
Why it’s important to you: Is this what justice looks like?
Oscar Pistorius has been a fascinating character since he burst onto the world of sports with his blade prosthetic legs and challenges to non-disabled athletes. So, when he was accused of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in 2013 even non-sports fans seemed hooked. This morning his legal issues were resolved as he was sentenced to six years in connection to Steenkamp’s death. This story has so many facets and constituencies it’s hard to figure out who is who.
Women’s rights advocates are up in arms that the death of this young woman was valued at only six years. There are those that claim his ethnicity is why he is being allowed to serve his sentence under house arrest at his uncle’s home in a tony suburb. Of course, some Pistorius defenders point to his disability causing him to be more susceptible to over reaction in stressful situations. However, no matter what camp you join, Reeva Standkamp is dead, Oscar Pistorius’ life is in ruins and the whole affair is tragic.